Coming Soon: A 'Telephone Tooth'
From: Associated Press - June 28, 2002
By: Thomas Wagner

Two recent master's graduates of the Royal College of Art in London have
created a "telephone tooth" device that is implanted into a person's molar,
enabling them to receive audio signals that can transmit a conversation,
music, or verbal Internet content such as local news, all without anyone else
hearing it. The "telephone tooth" consists of a wireless, low-frequency
receiver, and a device that transmits signals into vibrations, which then
flow through the molar and into the inner ear to create audible sounds. The
telephone tooth, also known as the "molar mobile," cannot send conversation
back. Some who tested a prototype version said they would not want it
implanted in their mouth, while an 8-year-old commented that it would be a
great device to talk to friends without parents knowing. The two British
inventors are now working with MIT Media Lab European research partner Media
Lab Europe in Dublin, Ireland, although no commercial products have been
announced. Analysts say the device could be used by investors and
stockbrokers, spies, or athletes receiving information from coaches. 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020628/ap_on_hi_te/telephone_tooth_4

